Bremerton Housing Authority close to wrapping up work at Bay Vista

The brightly painted homes of Bay Vista in West Bremerton on a sunny Monday.
LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

BREMERTON — Bay Vista, the $80 million reincarnation of Westpark, is close to fruition, leaders of the Bremerton Housing Authority say.

The public investment to overhaul the 82-acre site off Highway 3 and Kitsap Way, once home to 571 units of decaying, World War II-era housing, is winding down. Now, the housing authority hopes the private sector will fill in the rest of the development, much of which consists of subsidized housing.

"The vision was to create a mixed-use neighborhood, of people of mixed income levels," said Kurt Wiest, Bremerton Housing Authority's executive director.

Wiest says the housing authority has been "quietly and methodically moving forward" with plans with little publicity as each new development opens.

There are a few more streets to pave, parks to open and housing projects to complete on the triangular shaped property, including:

The Preserve, a wooded park that includes walking trails, and Periwinkle Park, a grassy open space that are expected to open in early 2014.

The 81-unit Bay Vista Senior Housing Apartments, constructed by American Baptist Homes of the West, also slated to open in early 2014.

The construction of Bay Vista Boulevard and completion of roadways through the burgeoning neighborhood.

But, by and large, public investment in the project is done.

Bay Vista already includes a campus of senior housing and hundreds of affordable housing units consisting of both high-rise apartment style living as well as stand-alone residences. Kitsap Credit Union already has purchased space within Bay Vista to open near the sprawling WinCo Foods grocery store.

The housing authority's hope is that a private developer will swoop in and build between 100 and 150 homes at market rates, creating an environment of truly mixed incomes.

Wiest likes the chances. He's confident builders will be drawn to the new neighborhood, with its parks and proximity to Highway 3.

"It's got a lot going for it," he said.

He notes that the development is not a resurgence of Westpark. Its former residents were publicly funded to live there. When they left, however, they were given housing vouchers, which still subsidize the rent but give them a choice to where they live.

About 18 percent of Westpark's residents have moved back to the development, Wiest said.

"It's not a one-for-one replacement," he said.

As part of grant requirements, the housing authority also has purchased apartments on Rickey Road in East Bremerton and Winfield Avenue in Manette, giving residents more options around the community.

As to whether the private industry will invest in Bay Vista, there are still a few more bureaucratic hoops to jump through. The Bremerton City Council has to approve changes to Bay Vista's subarea plan to make it possible to bring on potential builders. The council is expected to take up the issue in early 2014.